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It seems hard to believe that The South Bank Show should be celebrating its 30th season this February.

But the show, with its mix of celebrity and culture, isn’t about to call time just yet.

“Frankly I can’t think of another arts programme in the world that has got three years ahead of them, so that’s a tremendous boost for us and a real vote of confidence,” beams presenter Melvyn Bragg.

“Looking back at the last year, The South Bank Show is one of the very few programmes to hold its slot and not lose its audience share – the team is young and in cracking form, and I look forward to taking them round the next lap.”

Another of the show’s 2007 highlights is the second South Bank Show profile of comedienne, actress, singer and writer, Victoria Wood, as she prepares for the national tour of Acorn Antiques – The Musical.

Often regarded among the top sitcom writers in Britain, her most recent film, Housewife, 49, was greeted with widespread acclaim.

“We’re doing Victoria Wood in her manifestation as a serious playwright, writer and dramatist,” reveals Melvyn – whose official title is Lord Bragg of Wigton.

“It’s lovely because we profiled Victoria 20 years ago when she started out as a comedienne – at one stage she was the biggest female comedy act in the world, filling the Albert Hall night after night.

“Also, as part of our popular strand, which we have always insisted on having on The South Bank Show, we have June Whitfield,” the 67-year-old continues, explaining that the show provides a fascinating insight into the early days of British TV comedy through the eyes and recollections of the only remaining major star of the era.

“From the great days of Eth in The Glums right through to Absolutely Fabulous, June Whitfield is a treasure and so we are going to treasure her too.”

The first artist to be profiled in the new South Bank Show season is the poet WH Auden, who will be discussed by celebrated writer Alan Bennett, Shirley Williams and Poet Laureate Andrew Motion.

“One of the reasons that we’re starting with WH Auden is because his 100th anniversary, which in a month or so, is being so uncelebrated, basically I think because he fled to America,” Melvyn explains.

“In 1939 he was labelled a coward because he’s been such an anti-fascist in his poetry and his actions, and then he ran, people thought, when the action got really hot.

“A lot of people in this country are still against Auden and so we examine that, and we also found some absolutely new stuff in the basement of the radio archive in Newcastle… which was thought to be lost.”

For the moment, Melvyn is still on a high over this year’s awards – unique in that they are the only British accolades to span the whole range of the arts from theatre, film and dance, to pop music, television drama, literature and comedy.

“This is the only awards ceremony in world television that deals exclusively with the arts – no other awards ceremony anywhere in any country does this,” he says.

“Across the waterfront – in music, theatre, acting, writing, painting, dance and film – the British are enjoying quite wonderful success and this awards ceremony uniquely celebrates and honours that.”